Chopin: The Piano Concertos by Rafał Blechacz coming February 2010

After his successful Deutsche Grammophon debut recording of Chopin Preludes, Rafał Blechacz returns to the composer who helped make him famous with this all-new recording of Chopin’s Piano Concertos nos. 1 & 2. As the winner of the 2005 International Chopin Competition at the young age of only 20, Blechacz was awarded not only the rarely given first prize but also all four special prizes for best sonata, mazurka, concerto and polonaise performances. Since then, Blechacz has performed in Europe, Japan and North America to critical acclaim and has already ensured himself a huge following among piano aficionados.

These two concertos, cornerstones of every pianist’s repertory, are especially central to Rafał Blechacz’s introduction to the world-stage. He performed the E minor concerto at the 2005 Chopin Competition and has used both works for numerable memorable debuts around the world. His affinity with Chopin runs deeper than just their shared nationality, Blechacz possess an exceptional intelligence that allows him to understand in-depth the music he performs, and a degree of perception that allows him to infallibly grasp the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the compositions he interprets. For this recording Blechacz is joined by Polish conductor Jerzy Semkow and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

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When an artist sets paint to canvas, there are brush strokes used for different
effects. Sometimes those strokes are subtle, imperceptible; they produce works
of art like the Mona Lisa. Other times the very obvious nature of the stroke
is the art, as in works by Van Gogh. With some composers of music, the notes
on the page are their craft. How those notes translate into an aural experience
is what defines some composers as great artists. Brian Ferneyhough has a masterful command of the techniques of putting notes
on the page. These techniques are sometimes so subtle, even though written in
black and white, they escape detection. Some of what he attempts with his music
is just that, to escape detection, to bury the framework, diverting the ear
away from the structure, so only the music is heard. The subtlety is so fine
it is almost imperceptible. Even though he studied at several institutions, he is considered self-taught,
studying scores from Boulez, …